Historian, analyst, negotiator, and former advisor to Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State on Arab-Israeli negotiations, 1978-2003.

Wilson Center Project(s):

The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have and Doesn’t Want Another Great President Macmillan/Palgrave (Fall 2014)

Aaron David Miller is currently the Vice President for New Initiatives and a Distinguished Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Between 2006 and 2008, he was a Public Policy Scholar when he wrote his fourth book The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace (Bantam, 2008). His other books include The Arab States and the Palestine Question: Between Ideology and Self Interest, The PLO and the Politics of Survival, and The Search for Security, Saudi Arabian Oil and American Foreign Policy.

For the prior two decades, he served at the Department of State as an advisor to Republican and Democratic Secretaries of State, where he helped formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israel peace process, most recently as the Senior Advisor for Arab-Israeli Negotiations. He also served as the Deputy Special Middle East Coordinator for Arab-Israeli Negotiations, Senior Member of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff, in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research, and in the Office of the Historian. He has received the department's Distinguished, Superior, and Meritorious Honor Awards.

Mr. Miller received his Ph.D. in American Diplomatic and Middle East History from the University of Michigan in 1977 and joined the State Department the following year. During 1982 and 1983, he was a Council on Foreign Relations fellow and a resident scholar at the Georgetown Center for Strategic and International Studies. In 1984 he served a temporary tour at the American Embassy in Amman, Jordan. Between 1998 and 2000, Mr. Miller served on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. After leaving the state department, Mr. Miller served as president of Seeds of Peace from January 2003 until January 2006. Seeds of Peace is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence (www.seedsofpeace.org).

His media and speaking appearances include CNN (including "American Morning," "Wolf Blitzer Reports,") "The Newshour with Jim Lehrer," FOX News, "The NBC Nightly News," "CBS Evening News," National Public Radio, the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Al Arabiya, and Al Jazeera. Mr. Miller has also been a featured presenter for the World Economic Forum in Davos and Amman, Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, University of California at Berkeley, The City Club of Cleveland, Chatham House, and The International Institute for Strategic Studies. His articles have appeared in newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and The International Herald Tribune.

It's still far too early to calibrate how the crisis in Ukraine will play out and what its consequences will be -- but it's a fair bet that whether it ends in a Putin victory, defeat, or draw, it's going to make a difficult situation in the Middle East even more complicated, writes Aaron David Miller. more

"Having been around Middle East negotiations, particularly failed ones, for more than a few years, here are five rules out of the negotiator's handbook that everyone should bear in mind," writes Aaron David Miller. more

"Yet there is one reason for the president's caution that he almost never mentions -- and it may be one of the most compelling. Not surprisingly, it is derivative of Obama's most important foreign-policy objective in the Middle East: a nuclear deal with Iran," writes Aaron David Miller. more

In this Ground Truth Briefing, three prominent analysts of Syria assess the results of the Geneva Conference and the future of political efforts to deal with the Syrian conflict. Was Geneva a key to an empty room? And if so, what would be required to fundamentally change the situation on the ground and move toward a political solution? more

With the referendum on the new Constitution set for January 14/15, Egypt is at another critical juncture in its political transition. In this Ground Truth Briefing, experts discuss the new Constitution, political developments on the ground, and the U.S.-Egyptian relationship. more

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"The commentariat is looking for ways to press the administration to act. Their arguments are largely correct: Syria is indeed a moral, humanitarian, and strategic disaster. But their prescription for action is long on generalities and short on specifics," writes Aaron David Miller in a Foreign Policy op-ed.

"Governing is about choosing. When America acts, it has to ask itself two questions, not just, can it accomplish it? If we wanted to unseat the Assads, we could do it. The question is not just that, it's what will it cost? It's the second question that always needs to accompany the first," said Aaron David Miller.

President Obama is now faced with a dilemma: Defending his red line could undermine his carefully crafted strategy of steering clear of direct military involvement in the Syria crisis. Aaron David Miller notes several points the president should keep in mind as he grapples with this conundrum.

National security in the U.S. has been a topic widely discussed after the explosions in Boston. Aaron David Miller explains how the geography of the U.S. -- with "non-predatory neighbors to its north and south and fish to its east and west" -- has shaped American politics and values throughout its history.

One presidential visit won’t forge a reconciliation. But increasing pressures to manage the Iranian nuclear issue, the peace process and Netanyahu’s need to remain relevant in his new government just might, writes Aaron David Miller in The Washington Post.

"Mid-[level] to senior staffers stay on the Hill for a long time -- they are the staffers that members rely on. Maybe we can develop a professional cadre of informed bipartisan staff who will help the institution of Congress do much better policymaking. That's what the agenda is," Jane Harman said about the Wilson Center's new foreign policy fellowship program.

Ahead of John Kerry's first international trip as Secretary of State - where he will visit the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar - Aaron David Miller explains why Israel isn't on the list.

Demography will play an increasingly important role in determining the future of the state of Israel. Population size and structure, the changing demographic balance both between Israelis and Palestinians and among Israel’s religious and secular communities, and the unique circumstances of Israel’s Arab citizens will increasingly define this future. Join us for a discussion of these issues with one of Israel’s leading demographers.

Four years in, the relationship between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu remains a troubled one. What’s behind the tension, can it be alleviated and how will regional challenges such as Iran’s nuclear program or the impasse in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict affect the US-Israeli relations?

From Iran to Syria, to an unresolved Israeli–Palestinian issue, the Obama administration faces some extraordinary challenges in the Middle East that are likely to make 2013 a critical year. How does the United States prioritize its objectives? Is it realistic to think about solutions to these problems, or are managed outcomes more relevant?

The current framework governing the economic relations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority has failed to deliver economic prosperity and opportunity to the Palestinian people. The resulting economic stagnation could threaten peace in the region. Experts offered an in-depth discussion of this topic.

Marwan Muasher, Ellen Laipson, Rami Khouri and Aaron David Miller discussed perspectives and policy implications of this year’s unrest in the Middle East, pointing out key observations and implications for the United States.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is at an impasse. Fears of violence, unilateral actions, and UN action in the fall are poised to fill the ever expanding vacuum in the absence of serious negotiations. Are sustainable negotiations possible by year's end? And what are the likely consequences if they aren't?

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Former Congressman Dan Glickman joins us to discuss President Obama’s second term through the lenses of history and Hollywood. Aaron Miller discusses what to expect in the foreign policy arena during a second Obama term.

We convene our environment roundtable for a discussion of unintended consequences resulting from efforts to respond to climate change with Geoff Dabelko, Lisa Friedman, and Stacy Vandeveer. Also, Aaron David Miller joins us for a Syria update.

Aaron Miller is a former Middle East negotiator for republican and democratic administrations having served as an advisor to 6 secretaries of state. He's currently a public policy scholar here at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Stephan Richter is the publisher and editor in chief of The Globalist, the daily online magazine on the global economy, politics and culture which he founded and launched in January 2000. He's also president of The Globalist Research Center.

With the downfall of the Mubarak regime in Egypt protests have quickly spread throughout the Middle East. With many former regional allies of the United States now on the brink of revolution, what are the implications for the U.S. and other western allies after Mubarak's fall? Three of the most experienced experts on the region, David Ottaway, Aaron David Miller, and Barbara Slavin share their insight.

Aaron Miller spent two decades at the U.S. Department of State as an advisor to six Secretaries of State. He is now a Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar focusing on Palestinian and Israeli politics and relations and negotiations in the Middle East.

Aaron Miller spent two decades at the U.S. Department of State as an advisor to six Secretaries of State. He is now a Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar focusing on Palestinian and Israeli politics and relations and negotiations in the Middle East.

Aaron Miller spent two decades at the U.S. Department of State as an advisor to six Secretaries of State. He is now a Wilson Center Public Policy Scholar focusing on Palestinian and Israeli politics and relations and negotiations in the Middle East.